


Our Newborn King

by RobinWritesChirps



Category: Black Friday - Team StarKid
Genre: Alternate Reality, F/M, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Newborn Children, Protective Parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:07:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24898903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RobinWritesChirps/pseuds/RobinWritesChirps
Summary: Lex, Hannah and Tim meet their new sibling for the first time.Family fluff :) There’s an alternate reality where they’re now a family.
Relationships: Becky Barnes/Tom Houston
Comments: 18
Kudos: 22





	Our Newborn King

Tom and Becky's son showed its wailing red face so far into Christmas Eve he would forever share a birthday with Jesus himself and that was how the family would have received him any other day of the year as well.

The contractions had begun the night before, waking her up with pain and sorrow and thrill. She had patiently waited in bed, timing them in her own head until she had been secure enough that her time had come and only then had shaken Tom awake, muttering to him to drive her to the birth center. That, at least, had been the version of events Tom had given Lex in a frantic string of texts throughout the day as he stood at his wife’s side while she gave birth to their son. Becky had asked for nobody but Tom and the midwives in the room and Lex, not particularly keen on witnessing the gore, had not asked for a special permit.

Tim had been buzzing for days now. Of course, not all of it was joyful. There was the matter of the dreadful anniversary of his loss right at the solstice. Tom and Tim had spent the day at Emma’s, just the three of them no matter how much Tom had protested for Becky to join them − pregnant up to her chin, but not a welcome addition to that remembrance, as she had well reminded him. Tim had been on the edge in anticipation for that day only to come back much soothed by his time with Aunt Emma. He had not remained calm for long, however. The past couple of years had also taught Lex that he was, as a rule, a bouncing ball when he had to be home for more than a few days in a row and winter break was no exception. Adding to that the prospect of Christmas and the fact that Becky’s bulging belly had threatened to burst open and spit out a little elf at any time, he had been electric with a hundred conflicting emotions. Lex was glad that at least today, Tom was away supporting his wife, for the father had been as bad as the son the past few weeks and she was certain she couldn’t have put up with the two of them together one day more.

Hannah, blessing among blessings, was the same as ever. Christmas time was a favorite of hers and all the more so since they had moved in with Mr Houston. All December, the living room shone with the lights of the Christmas tree that delighted and calmed her. She had sat all day cross-legged on the carpet staring up at it in awe and Lex was certain she could have sat there much, much longer if it weren’t for the phone call.

Tim was pacing up and down the stairs and spouting to nobody in particular all his hopes and fears for the addition to the family coming so soon. Dinner had been hours ago and he had grabbed himself some midnight snack, munching on a cereal bar to fuel his nerve. Hannah was tired, Lex could see, dozing off periodically but catching herself and blinking a few times to better wake herself up. Lex herself had not been much more productive all day long than her younger siblings, mostly browsing her phone and waiting for Tom’s next sign of life − of new life.

Three heads snapped to the phone the moment it vibrated in Lex’s hand and she nearly dropped it when she tried to answer. She caught it right in time and placed it at her ear. Tom needed no greeting to start hollering.

"HE’S JUST BEEN BORN, DO YOU WANNA COME AND MEET HIM?"

Hannah and Tim immediately raced to sit right next to Lex, one on either side, their little faces pressed to hers to hear what was being said.

"I don’t know, Tom, I was thinking of turning in and waiting till you came back…"

Tim glared at her before snagging the phone from her hands and putting it on speaker.

"Can we really come?" He asked eagerly. "Is the baby okay?"

Tom’s voice was ecstatic and panting all at once and there was some shuffling sounds around him even so early in the morning. Hannah cuddled into Lex’s side, grinning against her shoulder.

"He’s fine, he’s… he’s perfect. Come on, Becky’s room is number 12, we want you to meet him. Lex, be careful on the road."

The eternal instruction whenever she was left in charge of the younger brood. She might have protested it if it wasn’t also rather warranted. For Tom’s sake and perhaps for Tim and Hannah’s too, she made sure they were buckled into their seats, she made sure she drove much less fast than her excited heart was telling her to. She had not cared all that much for babies but yet, this one new little boy might just do the trick. It wouldn’t be a first.

Tim rushed into Tom’s arms when he met them in the hall and was swirled into a tight embrace soon joined by Hannah. A hand mussing Lex’s hair, a grin brighter than anything she had ever seen. He had dark circles around the eyes but she had never seen him so full of life. Merry fucking Christmas.

"Can we see the baby?" Hannah asked timidly.

Tom pressed a kiss at her forehead, nodding her towards the door marked with a glass plate bearing the number of the room. Tim and her raced for it despite Tom’s best warnings to be quiet, though their entrance was much slower than the few steps towards it had been. Lex and Tom glanced at each other. He looked so very happy. All the times before, every moment she had thought he was full of joy seemed a paler version of the pure sunshine that radiated from him even in the darkest hours of a 25th December at almost-dawn. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led them on their way to join the rest of their family.

"He’s so tiny!" Tim was saying. "His ear’s the size of my thumb, look!"

Becky was holding the newborn against her chest on the bed but carefully rearranged his little body to better show him to the children now crowding her. She looked more exhausted than Tom by far. Sweat had plastered hair against her forehead and her large shirt, which was Tom’s, was clinging to her skin. She only had had eyes for the baby in her arms, though, and her quiet smile could have moved mountains.

"Do you want to hold him?" She offered and Lex loved her for that, for the kindness in her heart even when the whole world could see how much she craved to keep the baby in her snug embrace forever.

"He can’t," she interjected, "He’s been sick all day."

Tim was suddenly fuming and he clenched his fists.

"I haven’t!" His pleading eyes turned to his father. "Dad, I’m not sick at all, she’s just lying!"

Tom’s eyes squinted as he stared at Lex. She shrugged.

"I guess if you refuse to count sick with worry…"

If she had been less tired, Becky would have chuckled but only a breathless snort came out, which made the baby squeal uncomfortably and she shushed him gently with a tickling finger at his temple. He was buried in a little bundle of a green blanket now on her lap, a smooth red face. A true Christmas miracle, she thought.

"Buddy, go wash your hands," Tom said softly. "Then you can hold him."

Not one word of protest came out of Tim, so eager he was to hold his newborn brother he would have obeyed any instruction at all. He rushed to the ensuite bathroom where they heard splashing water. Tom sat next to Becky on the bed, who scooted a little to the side to leave him more space, and his hands found her shoulders to rub them slowly, softly. Becky gave him a smile.

"My hands are super clean," Tim said loud and proud, showing off his still slightly damp hands.

"Here we go, then," Becky said. Her voice was raspy and deeper than usual. Lex thought with some discomfort that this must have been from crying herself dumb all day. Eighteen hours of labor, if her math was right. Not too shabby.

Tim was as cautious as he could possibly be as he gently took hold of the baby, his little head, to cradle him against his chest and sit in the nearby armchair. Filled with wonder, he traced the round of peach soft cheeks, the small squinting nose. The boy cooed, which made Tim grin in pride at being accepted by him. Hannah crouched next to him to look at their brother.

"Nicholas Houston," Tom said. "Like we’d said we’d call him. He does look like one."

"Gee, you went all out with the unique," Lex said, poking his side.

Tom was not to be moved from his excellent cheer.

"I dunno," he said, gazing down at his new son not too far away, "He looks pretty special to me."

He kissed Becky’s temple, who shivered a little and pressed herself close to him and Tom ceased the impromptu massage to wrap his arms around her and hold her against him.

"You think he looks more like you?" Tim asked. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from the baby and was playing with his hands, trying to make Nicholas wrap his fingers around his thumb. "Or more like Becky?"

Becky’s eyes were closed and to Lex, it seemed like nothing in this world was touching her, not really. Lost in bliss, lost in feeling. Tom was a little more grounded, though not much more.

"I think he’s a bit of both," he said. "All of us are."

He and Tim shared a smile tainted with the faintest hint of melancholy. Of course, Lex had seen the pictures of Jane Perkins, several of them across the home. She had even caught sight of her in passing a few times at school several years ago, picking up Tom on certain days or spending some time with him between classes on rarer occasions. At this time of the year, she was ever on their mind even more than usual, but in this instant, she knew that both of them were thinking of the obvious. Tim had Tom’s hair, he had his own sunny disposition, but everything else was all Perkins. A bit of both, a lot of Jane. She wondered how Nicholas would grow, whichever of his parents he would favor in appearance, if he had to lean one side at all. She supposed she would be there to witness it.

"Do you wanna hold him too?" Tim asked Hannah, but she shook her head.

Her face was resting against his knees right next to the baby she was observing closely, quietly.

"She’s tired," Lex said, "I think she’ll want to hold him tomorrow."

"Huh huh," Hannah nodded. "Tomorrow."

The baby’s eyes were closed but he was resting his face comfortably into Tim’s hand and seemed perfectly at peace. From where he was sitting, Tom was eyeing them, all three younger kids that were his. Lex sat down at the end of the bed and touched Becky’s calf to grab her attention. Nothing could startle her, nothing could perturb her. She looked up with an exhausted smile.

"Was it like, a blood show?" Lex asked. "Eighteen hours, is that normal for a first time?"

Becky huffed. Her arms were snug around Tom’s to keep them around her and she glanced at him. He kissed her hair and smiled back.

"Well," she said softly, "It was a lot worse than I imagined. But also the best thing that’s ever happened in my life. Make of that what you will, sweetie. You’ll get it if you have kids some day."

"She was a warrior," Tom said with unconcealed pride. "She held up so good, she was a hero."

Becky was too tired to refuse the compliments and simply nodded, a little sluggish still. Tim stood very carefully to hand her back the baby, who made a happy sound at being in his mother’s arms again, but Becky was no longer looking at him. Her eyes were now fixed on Lex.

"Do _you_ want to hold him?" She asked.

The question was meant gently, of course, with either answer acceptable whichever she chose. Lex had not been all that baby crazy the whole pregnancy and she doubted she would start now, not with a real little baby who would soon start to shit and shout and overwhelm the household for the foreseeable future. At near twenty-one, she had not thought she would ever get another sibling, but then, she hadn’t thought so about Tim either, had she? She was older now than her own birth mother had been when she had been born. Nothing in this world could be predicted. She nodded.

Her brother was smaller in her arms than she had expected. She didn’t remember Hannah being this tiny, but the realization came at once that she had been a child herself when Hannah had been born, not as big and strong. She had not held a newborn child in her arms since and for a moment she was transported back in time. How scared she had been, how desperate to do everything in her meager power to protect the baby her sister had been. Scared and alone and often hungry or cold, nothing to soothe her spirit or warm her heart, but the worst of all had been the fear to see Hannah suffer the same fate. Looking at Hannah now, she could hardly recall the last time she had felt even a fraction of that worry for her. They were safe now. They were loved. And Nicholas would never have to know otherwise to feel the same.

"Oh crap," Tim blurted out, "Are you okay?"

His arm wrapped around her shoulders but Lex shrugged it off, just like she carefully lifted an arm to rub away tears with the back of her hand before holding the baby safe and close again. He was very warm even through the blanket, very pink in the face. He made a funny sound, almost fussing, and Lex gave him a thumb to suck on to calm him down. She breathed out a relief she had not known she had been waiting for. She wondered how long she had needed that relief.

"Shit," she said in a low voice, "I guess I love him."

Becky stayed at the birth center a few more days for her and the baby to recuperate. Tom spent the first night with her there, Lex the next, and she was the one who drove them home when they were ready. On the backseat, Tom and Becky gazed at each other adoringly like high school sweethearts much more than the married parents they were. That was fine by her. Nicholas Houston had been declared in excellent health and thriving, ready to take on the world. The world, Lex thought, started right at home. And home was just another word for family.

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE leave a comment! Like, really, please do! You can leave anon comments on AO3, you don’t need an account!


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